Protein structure
These large molecules are made of amino acids and perform most cellular functions.
What are proteins?
The building blocks of proteins, each with a central carbon, amino group, carboxyl group, hydrogen, and R group.
What are amino acids?
Molecular machines that assemble amino acids into proteins.
What are ribosomes?
Process of reading mRNA to assemble amino acids into a protein.
What is translation
Proteins that help other proteins fold correctly and prevent misfolding.
What are protein chaperones?
This is the linear sequence of amino acids in a protein.
What is primary structure?
Amino acids that avoid water and are usually found inside proteins.
What are hydrophobic amino acids?
Carries genetic instructions from DNA to ribosomes.
What is mRNA?
Step in translation where the ribosome assembles at the start codon.
What is initiation?
Controlling when, where, and how much protein is made.
What is protein synthesis regulation?
Local folding patterns stabilized by hydrogen bonds, like alpha helices and beta sheets.
What is secondary structure?
Side chains on amino acids that give each one unique chemical properties.
What are R groups?
Transfers specific amino acids to the ribosome and has an anticodon.
What is tRNA?
Step in translation where amino acids are added one by one to the growing protein.
What is elongation
Amino acid sequence that directs a protein to a membrane or organelle.
What is a signal anchor sequence?
The overall 3D shape of a single protein chain, stabilized by R group interactions.
What is tertiary structure?
This smallest amino acid is very flexible and often found in tight turns.
What is glycine?
Enzymes that attach the correct amino acid to its tRNA.
What are tRNA synthetases?
$400: Step in translation where the ribosome reaches a stop codon and releases the completed protein
What is termination?
Distinct functional or structural part of a protein.
What is a domain?
Structure formed when multiple protein chains assemble together.
What is quaternary structure?
Covalent bonds between cysteines that stabilize a protein’s 3D shape.
What are disulfide bridges?
The first codon of mRNA (usually AUG) signaling translation to start.
What is the start codon?
Sequence on tRNA that pairs with the complementary mRNA codon.
What is an anticodon?
Flow of genetic information: DNA → RNA → Protein.
What is the central dogma?